Department for Transport

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce legislation providing for an automatic driving ban on drivers using a mobile phone whilst in charge of a moving vehicle.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are bringing forward legislation that doubles the fixed penalty notice for using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving from 3 to 6 penalty points and from a £100 to £200 fine. Drivers within 2 years of gaining their full driving licence who collect 6 penalty points automatically have it revoked under the New Drivers Act. This means that they will have to reapply for a provisional licence, plus resit and pass both the theory and practical driving tests to regain their full driving licence. The Government currently otherwise has no plans to introduce legislation for an automatic ban on drivers for the offence of using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to consult on proposals to make companies liable for the illegal use of mobile phones by their drivers whilst working on company business.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is clear that drivers must take responsibility for their driving.It is also an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.

Driving: Eyesight

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 November (HL2743) and in the light of the number of people killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads in 2015–16, whether they will take steps to encourage drivers whose eyesight is below the required standard to improve their vision.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government supports Road Safety Week (RSW) which is taking place this month. The aim of RSW is to raise awareness around road safety and promote steps that everyone can take to reduce road casualties. This year the organisers are focusing on measures including regular eye tests and wearing glasses or lenses for driving if needed.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Services

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to work with the Local Government Association to raise public awareness of the publication Don’t be left in the dark: Adult Social Care.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: My department works closely with the Local Government Association on a wide range of issues to help improve local services, including adult social care.Adult social care provides a vital service to millions of people across the country. We recognise the pressures on these services, which is why this government is providing up to £3.5 billion for adult social care this Parliament, including £1.5 billion extra for the Better Care Fund by 2019-20.

Social Rented Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Pay to Stay working group to next meet; and whether they expect that the implementation date for Pay to Stay will be April 2017.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: I refer the Noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (attached) made by the Minister of Housing on 21 November in the other place (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-11-21/HCWS274/) and repeated in this House.



Social Housing WMS - HCWS274
(PDF Document, 300.32 KB)

Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 relating to the higher value levy will come into force.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The provisions in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 relating to the sale of vacant higher value local authority housing came into force on Royal Assent. However there is a number of steps that must be taken before local authorities will be required to make payments to Government under these powers. This includes making regulations defining higher value, which will be subject to the affirmative procedure, and consulting before making a determination. Further information will be shared in due course.

Social Rented Housing: Cooperatives

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make it easier for social housing tenants to form housing co-operatives.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: We encourage local authorities to work closely with their communities to look at the range of options open to them to include forming community led groups, such as housing Co-Operatives. Council tenants have the Right to Manage, which enables them to set up a Tenant Management Organisation (including a management co-operative) to manage the homes in their area, with a management allowance from the Council. Housing Co-Operatives are a significant part of the community-led housing sector which we are supporting to grow through a new £60 million per annum fund, announced at Budget 2016.

Housing and Planning Act 2016

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many working groups have been established, and how many times each of them has met, since the passing of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To date we have established 8 working groups which have met 26 times since the passing of the Act.

Housing and Planning Act 2016

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which voluntary sector organisations they have formally consulted on matters contained in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 since that Act came into force.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Our public consultations on the Housing and Planning Act 2016 were open to all, including all voluntary organisations.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Industry

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to encourage the growth of the construction industry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is committed to the growth of the construction industry; and announced at the Autumn Statement a new National Productivity Investment Fund, of which £7.2 billion is to be used to support the construction of new homes and £1.3 billion will be invested in roads and local transport.Additionally, £2.3 billion will be invested in a new Housing Infrastructure Fund, of which £1.4 billion will be used to build 40,000 new affordable homes, including some for shared ownership and some for affordable rent.The Government has shown that it is committed to infrastructure development: earlier this month my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport reiterated this Government’s commitment to HS2; in October we announced support for a new runway at Heathrow; and in September we reaffirmed our commitment to Hinkley Point C.The Government is working closely with the Construction Leadership Council to ensure that UK businesses can make the most of these and other opportunities.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Kashmir: Human Rights

Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 31 October (HL2396), whether the issue of investigations into human rights abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir was raised during the Prime Minister's recent visit to India.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and Prime Minister Modi discussed a variety of issues on her recent visit to India, including Kashmir. The UK's long-standing position, held by successive Governments, is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator.

Turkey: Press Freedom

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Turkey following the arrest of the Chairman and nine journalists of the Cumhuriyet newspaper, and the closing of some 170 media outlets.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to follow developments in Turkey closely and underline the importance of the rule of law and the protection of freedom of expression. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) raised these issues during his visit to Turkey on 25-27 September, as has the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan) with Turkey’s Minister for Europe, Omer Celik, most recently in a telephone call on 7 November.

Turkey: Political Prisoners

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey concerning the arrest and detention of Turkish MPs, including the co-chairs of the opposition HDP party.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to follow developments in Turkey closely and underline the importance of the rule of law and the protection of freedom of expression. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) raised these issues during his visit to Turkey on 25-27 September, as has the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan) with Turkey’s Minister for Europe, Omer Celik, most recently in a telephone call on 7 November.

Egypt: Aviation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of other European countries having now lifted their flight bans to Sharm el Sheikh, why the Foreign and Commonwealth Office still advises against all but essential travel by air to or from there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The security of British nationals is the Government's top priority. The constantly evolving global threat from terrorism means that we cannot compromise on the security of our citizens. The Government has not yet concluded that it is right to lift the restrictions on direct UK flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh.UK aviation security experts have worked closely with their Egyptian counterparts on the ground, sharing their expertise in establishing effective security arrangements. We continue to work in a spirit of cooperation, and are grateful for Egypt's close engagement and partnership. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security provisions are in place and can be sustained.

Turkey: Non-governmental Organisations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey following reports of the shutting down of non-governmental organisations and associations, including women's groups, lawyers' associations and cultural societies; and what justifications, if any, they have received for such action.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware that a number of Non-Governmental Organisations and other organisations in Turkey have had their operations halted for three months by the authorities on the grounds of suspected terror links. Civil society is an extremely important component of any democratic society and we are monitoring developments closely, as well as regularly raising our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities.

Africa: International Criminal Court

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to those African nations which have made statements regarding their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are concerned by the decisions of the Republic of South Africa, Burundi and The Gambia to withdraw from the Rome Statute. The UK recognises the need for dialogue with States Parties and we took part in meetings in the margins of the Annual Assembly of States Parties in The Hague between 16 -24 November. Our High Commissioner in South Africa has had a number of discussions with senior officials about South African withdrawal.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the fairness of the trial in Sudan of four Christians, Rev Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour, Rev Kuwa Shamal Abazmam Kurri, Abdulmonem Abdumawla Issa Abdumawla, and Petr Jasek; and whether they take account of instances of capital punishment, show trials, adherence to human rights, and regard for freedom of religion or belief, when developing policy with regard to Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned about the ongoing trial and continued detention of Reverend Hasan Abduraheem Kodi Taour, Reverend Kuwa Shamal Kori, Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla, and Mr Petr Jasek. In coordination with our international partners we have ensured that there is a diplomatic presence at each stage of the trial. Officials from our Embassy attended the hearing on 26 September and officials from Switzerland attended the most recent session on 21 November on behalf of the international community. We also remain in close contact with the lawyers representing the defendants.Sudan is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country. We always take our human rights concerns into consideration when developing policy, and we regularly lobby the government of Sudan on these through dialogue in London, Khartoum and New York. Human rights remain an issue of great importance to the UK, and we are firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief across the world.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Disclosure of Information

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 16 November (HL Deb, cols 1424–5), what steps they are taking to reduce the number of leaks of confidential communications, and in particular whether they intend to restrict distribution lists.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Everyone who works with government has a duty to respect the confidentiality and integrity of any Government information and data that they use, and is personally accountable for safeguarding assets in line with this policy. Foreign and Comonwealth Office (FCO) Guidance already recommends restricting distribution lists for particularly sensitive information. Whenever there is an alleged leak of FCO information, the Department follows established Cabinet Office investigation procedures.

Gaza: Prosthetics

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to expedite the passage of materials for prosthetic limbs through Erez Crossing for patients at the Artificial Limb and Polio Centre in Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised this specific issue. The UK continues to press for an end to restrictions and urgent measures to relieve the humanitarian suffering of those in Gaza.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the raid on the Health Development and Policy Institute in Ramallah by Israeli forces, whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel and call for compensation for that Institute.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities.

South Sudan: Genocide

Lord St John of Bletso: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the publication on 15 November of the Interim Report of the UN panel of experts on South Sudan, what measures are being taken to avert the threat of genocide in South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in South Sudan and agree with the United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide that the international community needs to act fast before genocide becomes a reality. Together with our regional and international partners, we continue to press both the government of South Sudan and the Opposition to show restraint and work to build peace through an inclusive political process. In parallel, as we have consistently made clear, we fully support a United Nations arms embargo on South Sudan and will continue to push for this in Security Council discussions in New York.

Commonwealth: Official Visits

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that Government ministers are able to meet and hold discussions with ministers from Commonwealth countries, especially those from small island states, when they visit London.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Ministers meet regularly with Ministers from Commonwealth countries, both in London and on their visits overseas. The majority of the Commonwealth's 52 members are represented by High Commissioners in London. Meetings with visiting Ministers are typically organised by High Commissioners and their staff or by High Commissioners at UK missions overseas. Where a VIP is invited to the UK by Her Majesty's Government, the visit programme is arranged through Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We place significant importance on Ministerial meetings which provide the opportunity for discussions on a range of Commonwealth and other issues. Recently, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) had a warm and productive meeting with the Grenadian Prime Minister and St Lucian Prime Minister. Similar visits and discussions, both inwards and outwards, will become increasingly important as we look ahead to hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018.

Cabinet Office

Migrant Workers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of figures published by the Office for National Statistics which show that, in the past year, around 95 per cent of new workers were born outside the UK.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.Immigrants who have come to the UK to work have brought significant benefits to Britain – we are a tolerant, welcoming nation encouraging the brightest and best to come to our shores. That will always be the case.But it’s clear that there is no consent in Britain for uncontrolled migration from Europe.It is important to note that those who hold British Citizenship can also be classed as non UK born.



UKSA Response to HL3342
(PDF Document, 112.94 KB)

Department for Education

Adult Education

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 19 September (HL1536) about government-funded adult education and training, when they intend to place the full answer in the Library of the House.

Lord Nash: The further information referred to in the response to HL1536 is available in the House of Lords library, and was also provided in the response to HL2610.

Apprentices

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications they have received from groups wishing to become apprenticeship trailblazers and how many employers are involved.

Lord Nash: Since Trailblazers began, we have received 556 expressions of interest. As a result of this, 202 groups of employers have developed or are in the process developing 441 standards. There are over 1,400 employers directly involved in the Trailblazers. A list of employers involved in standards that are still in development is available in the attached document and at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/530096/Employers_and_other_Organisations_Involved_in_Trailblazers.pdf



 Organisations involved in the Trailblazers
(PDF Document, 145.9 KB)

Apprentices

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many occupational standards have been developed as a result of the apprenticeship trailblazers programme and to what occupations they relate.

Lord Nash: There are currently 202 groups of employers that have developed or are developing 441 standards. Of these, 146 standards are already approved for delivery - apprentices can start on them and Government funding for training can be used to support their delivery. Development of apprenticeship standards continues in a broad range of occupations, from aerospace engineer to banking relationship manager, and includes professions such as manufacturing engineer and chartered surveyor. A full list of all the standards is available in the attached document and at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/558940/Apps_standards_list_071016.pdf



Apprenticeship Standards
(PDF Document, 818.97 KB)

Teachers: Migrant Workers

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of figures showing that 85 per cent of modern foreign language assistants in British schools are non-UK EU nationals, what steps they are taking to continue to attract them and to safeguard their residency status following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Lord Nash: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return. The Government is considering the options for our future immigration system very carefully. As part of that it is important that we understand the effect on the different sectors of the economy and the labour market, including on modern foreign language teachers and assistants, from any changes that we make.

English Baccalaureate

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the outcome of the referendum to withdraw from the EU, whether they have reviewed their target of 90 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc by 2020.

Lord Nash: We are considering the responses to the consultation on the implementation of the EBacc and will publish the Government response in due course.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the consultation on renewing the faith schools' selection cap, what plans they have for developing religious and ethnic integration in the event that the existing 50 per cent cap on religious selection is removed from free schools.

Lord Nash: The 50 per cent cap on faith admissions to faith free schools has not resulted in mixed intakes in these schools. We are exploring through the Schools that work for everyone consultation alternative ways for ensuring such schools are inclusive in their outlook and attractive to parents of all faiths and none. All schools are already expected to promote fundamental British values, including mutual respect and tolerance of people of other faiths and none and all state-funded schools are also required to promote community cohesion.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the maximum prison population and how many prison officer staff were employed in 2010–11 and each succeeding year to date in (1) HMP Deerbolt, (2) HMP Durham, (3) HMP Frankland, (4) HMP Holme House, (5) HMP Kirklevington Grange, (6) HMP Low Newton, and (7) HMP Northumberland; how many of the prisoners in each of those establishments were on remand, and what proportion of those prisoners received a custodial sentence.

Lord Keen of Elie: The information requested on prisoner population is published regularly at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-figures-2016. Staffing data is also regularly published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-performance-statistics-2015-to-2016 The following table details the highest population figures for the prisons requested in the financial years 2010-11 to 2016-17. Highest population figures by prison in financial years 2010/11 - 2016-17Prison2010/11*2011/122012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Deerbolt499505464513508420432Durham957960927934976953953Frankland843824817809820835810Holme House1081120011931227122312291218Kirklevington Grange278283283296299283268Low Newton277299310329324313340Northumberland**1177132813371345134713451345 * Data for 2010/11 only available from November 2010 to March 2011.** Data for Northumberland summed from the totals for Acklington and Castington before both sites officially formed Northumberland in March 2012. NOMS Prison Officers1 in Post at Selected Prisons, 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2016 31-Mar-201031-Mar-201131-Mar-201231-Mar-201331-Mar-201431-Mar-201531-Mar-2016Deerbolt175173167151156134126Durham305291248225188202195Frankland596597572539499487485Holme House312334330321249235226Kirklevington Grange50494845555151Low Newton136130134133121124140Northumberland2446398377344---(1) Consists of Band 3-5 officers  (2) The management of HMP Northumberland was transferred to Sodexo in December 2013Information on how many of the prisoners in each of these establishments were on remand and what proportion of those prisoners received a custodial sentence could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Cycling: Millbank

Lord Blencathra: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he will make representations to the Metropolitan Police about the dangers caused by cyclists ignoring the law to members of the public, Parliamentary staff and Members using the zebra crossing at 1 Millbank; and whether he will request the police to take enforcement action.

Lord McFall of Alcluith: The Metropolitan Police were consulted by Westminster City Council in advance of the decision in 2013 to replace the pelican crossing at 1 Millbank with the current zebra crossing. Following the tragic accident that took place on the crossing on 16 November, the Metropolitan Police are conducting an investigation including safety aspects of the crossing. Additionally, the Director of Facilities has recently contacted the Council. I thank the Noble Lord for highlighting the issue.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Telecommunications: Planning Permission

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the erection of telephone poles in conservation areas is compliant with the code of practice.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The Pole and Cabinet Code of Siting Practice is kept under regular review to monitor its effectiveness and ensure compliance. Since its introduction in 2013 it has been reviewed twice, in 2014 and 2016 and will continue to be reviewed every 18 months. The reviews have been conducted by representatives of communications infrastructure providers, local planning authorities and the National Parks and have agreed that overall the Code of Practice was working well with a good level of compliance in relation to poles and cabinets being deployed sensitively in all areas. Following the latest review the review group agreed to strengthen the guidance for communications providers when placing site notices for pole installation. A summary of the latest Code of Practice review is included in the Impact Assessment for Clause 7 of the Digital Economy Bill and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-economy-bill-part-2-digital-infrastructure



Broadband Planning Impact Assessment 
(PDF Document, 303.51 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment Schemes: Disability

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure the provision of specialist employment support to disabled jobseekers from 2017 onwards.

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many disabled jobseekers will be able to access specialist support through the proposed Work and Health Programme.

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to make additional funding available for specialist employment support for disabled jobseekers from next year.

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure that sufficient specialist employment support will be available next year for disabled jobseekers who want to work.

Lord Freud: The Spending Review announced funding rising to at least £130 million a year by 2019/20 for the new Work and Health programme, including funding to be devolved to Scotland, focussing support on people with a disability, early access for priority groups and the long term unemployed. We are not yet able to confirm how many disabled jobseekers will access the programme but we expect the majority of people who will start the programme will be disabled people. The Work and Health Programme is only one part of a wider package of support for disabled people. ‘Improving Lives, The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ Cm 9342, published on 31 October, confirms that we will introduce a new Personal Support Package for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, which includes a range of new interventions and initiatives designed to provide support that is tailored to the individual needs of claimants. The Package will be delivered through Jobcentre Plus and will be coupled with significant new investment in a new Health and Work Conversation for all ESA claimants and additional Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres. We are also investing a further £15m in the Flexible Support Fund for claimants in the Work Related Activity Group.  In addition to this, Specialist Employability Support provides employment support for those who are furthest away from the labour market and have complex needs, making other programmes unsuitable for them. The Green Paper confirmed that we are considering how we should continue this support in the future, including how to provide more places to individuals in the ESA Work-Related Activity Group and UC claimants with limited capability for work.

Employment Schemes

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the loss of access to the European Social Fund on the provision of employment support; whether they are planning to replace that provision; and if so, with what.

Lord Freud: The Government has confirmed that it will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects signed before the UK’s departure from the EU, even when these projects continue after we have left the EU. As a result, British businesses and other organisations have additional certainty over future funding and should continue to apply for EU funding while the UK remains a member of the EU. There is considerable stability in the ESF programme, with around half of the programme budget (approximately £1.2bn) already committed. The Treasury announcement provides us with a helpful degree of certainty in delivering the programme. Funding for projects will be honoured by the government, if they meet good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. In the longer term we will want to consider the future of all programmes that are currently EU funded. Leaving means we will make our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Each government department will take responsibility for the allocation of money to projects in line with these conditions and the wider rules on public spending.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK pensioners whose pensions are frozen because they live overseas have moved back to the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Lord Freud: There were 2,190 recipients of the UK State Pension who were resident overseas with non-uprated State Pensions on 31st May 2015 and who were resident in the UK on 31st May 2016. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.Notes:Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. The administrative data on State Pension represents snapshots of information. To answer the question two snapshots of data have been compared but there could have been additional movements of residency during this time that would not be captured – for example if someone moved back to the UK but then left again before 31st May 2016.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who are the project representatives for the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, and what are their roles and responsibilities.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Liaison Committee has been established to oversee the delivery of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project and is made up of senior representatives from each of the parties to the project, Tideway, Thames Water Utilities Limited, and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Committee meets quarterly, with representatives from the Environment Agency and Ofwat attending as observers. Following a competitive process, the multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm Mott McDonald was appointed as the Independent Technical Assessor for the project, with a duty to review, evaluate, comment, verify and advise as applicable the members of the Liaison Committee and Ofwat on Tideway’s assessment of project costs, quarterly reports to the Committee, and such engineering and other technical issues that may arise as the project progresses. Full details of the role and responsibilities are set out in the project Liaison Agreement, which is available on the Defra pages of the GOV.UK website

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Defra staff (1) have been seconded to other Departments to work on the Brexit agenda, and (2) continue to be employed within Defra but are now allocated to work on Brexit preparation.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: 1. We currently have 8 Defra staff seconded to work on Brexit in DexEU 2. Defra is amongst those Government Departments whose work is most closely linked to and impacted by EU activity, legal frameworks and funding. The majority of policy roles within the Department will or are likely to support EU related work to some degree.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a comprehensive list is being compiled of environmental, agricultural, fisheries and food regulations which are affected by withdrawal from the EU; and if so, whether they intend to publish this information.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical and in that context all relevant legislation is currently being identified and assessed.

Recycling

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to integrate the EU's Circular Economy package into UK legislation.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The EU Circular Economy package has two elements: an action plan and amendments to waste legislation. There will be a series of initiatives launched under the action plan and the UK will be able to judge which of these to focus attention on in the future. We do not know when the negotiations on the waste legislative amendments will conclude, nor the deadline for transposing them into UK legislation. While the UK remains a Member State, all EU obligations will continue to apply. Any future changes in the law will be subject to full scrutiny and Parliamentary debate.

Agriculture: Migrant Workers

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the potential impact on agriculture and food production if strict limits on migration are imposed following withdrawal from the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Supporting our farmers and protecting the environment will form an important part of our exit from the EU. We are now focused on making sure that all our policies are delivering for the UK and to grow our world-leading food and farming industry. I am looking forward to working with industry and the public to develop new proposals that support our agricultural and horticultural industries as we leave the EU. With regard to labour from European nationals, until we leave the EU, there are no changes to labour movements. Defra is very aware that migrant workers from other EU countries will be one of the complex issues that will have to be resolved as part of our exit negotiation and future relationship with the EU. We are currently working with colleagues across government to analyse potential impacts and explore options.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list the statutory instruments currently in force which were made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, the subject matter of which falls within the departmental responsibilities of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical and in that context all relevant legislation is currently being identified and assessed.The Government will set out the content of the Bill and its implications in due course.

Home Office

Refugees: Syria

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the refugees taken under the Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme are (1) Christian, (2) Yazidi, (3) Muslim, and (4) male.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: With all of our resettlement schemes we work closely with UNHCR to identify cases that they deem most in need of resettlement according to their established vulnerability criteria.The number of people who have been resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme is published in the quarterly Home Office statistics. Of those resettled between the former Prime Minister’s announcement on 7 September 2015 and 30 June 2016, the period covered by the Home Office’s most recently published statistics, 51.5% were male.The religious and ethnic breakdown of those resettled under this scheme is something that we will be monitoring but will not be publishing.

Visas: Overseas Students

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 November (HL2631), what defines which institutions qualify as amongst the best institutions; and whether those that do not qualify as the best will be supported to attract suitably talented students from overseas.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There is no limit on the number of genuine international students who can come to the study to UK.We are considering what more we can do to strengthen the system to support the best universities and those that stick to the rules to attract the best talent.

Asylum: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have been granted leave to remain in the UK under the provisions of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 since the passing of the Act; and (2) from which countries those children have been transferred.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from the Calais refugee camp have been granted leave to remain in the UK under (1) the Dublin III Regulations, and (2) the provisions of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they gave to a strategy for safeguarding the wellbeing of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children immediately after the passing of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children they expect to be received in the UK under the provisions of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All children transferred here under the Dublin Regulation or under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 will be expected to make an asylum claim in the UK, which will be considered according to normal processes. We aim to decide 98 per cent of straightforward asylum claims within six months. Where a child does not qualify for asylum and it is clear that safe and adequate reception arrangements are not available in their home country, they will be granted leave to remain under the Immigration Rules for 30 months or until they reach the age of 17 and a half, whichever is shorter.The Government already has a comprehensive approach to safeguarding children, including refugee children. We recognise that the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children arriving in the UK has risen over the last few years, including through the transfer of hundreds of children from Calais. That is why the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS231) made on 1 November by my noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System committed to the publication, by 1 May 2017, of a strategy setting out further detail on how these children will be safeguarded and their welfare promoted.This strategy will compliment and build on existing safeguarding guidance and procedures. We have already been working with local authorities, charities and other organisations to make sure plans are in place to give these children the support they need.We will be working with the relevant agencies to develop this further over the coming months. In line with the legislation we will in due course specify the number of unaccompanied refugee children to be transferred to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Asylum: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long it takes on average to transfer an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child to the UK from France under the provisions of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal representation is offered to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are transferred to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the registration of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children by Home Office officials in the Calais camp was not conducted earlier and before the demolition of the camp.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an internal review has been conducted, or is planned, to look at the manner in which the Home Office responded to the closure of the Calais camp and the transfer of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK continues to work closely with the French authorities to ensure eligible children under the Dublin Regulation and section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 are transferred to the UK as soon as possible. Since 10 October we have transferred over 300 children, and as the Home Secretary told Parliament last month, we expect several hundred more children will be brought to the UK in the coming days and weeks.Prior to the camp clearance operation the Government focused on transferring those children with close family links to the UK under the Dublin Regulation and transferred over 80 asylum seeking children from France since the beginning of the year.Since the clearance operation was announced and upon agreement with the French, the Government has worked at pace to process the children who are eligible for transfer to the UK. We continue to work closely with the French to ensure those children who were in the camp at the time of the clearance operation are interviewed to assess their eligibility to be transferred to the UK.We also must ensure that the proper safeguarding, age assessment and security checks are carried out, and that it is in each child’s best interests to come to the UK. All unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have been brought to the UK are entitled to legal advice supported by legal aid. The Home Office is continuously monitoring its response to the migrant situation in France.

Asylum: LGBT People

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to address the concerns raised in the report by the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group and Stonewall No Safe Refuge: Experiences of LGBT asylum seekers in detention.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Published guidance, Detention Services Order 2/2016 Lesbian, gay and bisexual detainees in the detention estate and Detention Services Order (DSO) 11/2012 'Care & Management of Transsexual Detainees' sets out how detainees with these protected characteristics should be safeguarded and treated in detention.The Government is currently considering the report ‘No Safe Refuge: Experiences of LGBT asylum seekers in detention’ by the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group and Stonewall.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to provide a dedicated 24-hour mental health helpline for serving soldiers.

Earl Howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is absolutely committed to looking after the mental health of our Armed Forces, and provides a range of community-based health care in line with national best practice. We appreciate that personnel with mental health issues might need access to help outside normal working hours, and we provide this by working in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS and Service charities. In most areas of the UK, immediate out of hours care includes the free 24-hour mental health helpline run by the charity Combat Stress (which receives funding from MOD), and the Big White Wall, a 24-hour online community. In Northern Ireland, we provide MOD-managed telephone support for Service personnel for primary healthcare, as there is no contracted independent service provider for this type of health care in that part of the UK. In the most serious cases, where urgent treatment is required, we are able to arrange emergency admittance to one of eight specialised inpatient NHS mental health units, under a contract between MOD and a consortium of NHS Trusts. These units have a range of dedicated facilities for military personnel, and admission can be arranged at any time of day or night. We believe that these arrangements are robust and effective, and there are therefore no plans to provide an additional helpline.

HM Treasury

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of women who will lose part of their state pension entitlement as a result of not claiming child benefit following the introduction of the high income child benefit charge.

Lord Young of Cookham: Child Benefit can help some claimants qualify for National Insurance credits. These credits count towards their State Pension and protect it by making sure they don’t have gaps in their National Insurance record.HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ensures that individuals have the information they need to make well-informed choices about their pension position and Child Benefit. HMRC provides specific information on the Child Benefit claim form, through the HMRC helpline, online at gov.uk, through partners such as Citizen’s Advice, and in the Bounty Packs that go to new parents. However, some people may choose not to claim Child Benefit. HMRC does not have an estimate of the number of people whose state pension entitlements are affected by their decision not to claim.

Local Government Finance

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Local Government Association’s submission to the Autumn Statement 2016.

Lord Young of Cookham: Ahead of the Autumn Statement, HM Treasury received submissions from a range of stakeholders. While it would not be appropriate to respond in detail to each individual proposals, the government did carefully consider all submissions. In particular the Treasury responded to calls for more to be done on housing. The Chancellor announced at the Autumn Statement that government would invest an additional £5.3bn in housing. This includes a £2.3bn Housing Infrastructure Fund to deliver infrastructure to unlock 100,000 homes and £1.4bn to deliver 40,000 new affordable homes. Government also announced that it would relax restrictions on existing affordable housing funding to deliver a wider variety of affordable housing tenures to help people at different stages in their lives. Further reforms to increase housing supply will be brought forward through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Housing White Paper, which will be published in due course.

EU Budget: Contributions

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 14 November (HL2994), whether they will set out in the body of their response the values in sterling asked for in the original question.

Lord Young of Cookham: Analysis of spending in the UK shows that we expect 7% of receipts to cover rural development and the environment, 44% to cover agriculture and fisheries and 27% to cover research and development under the 2014-20 Multiannual Financial Framework. The sterling value of those receipts will depend on a number of factors, including the timing of payments and the exchange rate prevailing at that time. Over 2010-14 the average annual value of UK receipts from the EU budget was £5.6bn.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they are putting in place for the preservation of key records relating to the Brexit process in order to ensure their availability to an official historian.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government takes very seriously its obligations under the Public Records and Freedom of Information Acts. The Department for Exiting the European Union is taking steps, working closely with the Cabinet Office and The National Archives, to establish robust systems and processes to make sure accurate and comprehensive records are kept.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants are employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union; and how many more they plan to recruit.

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many negotiators they have employed to conduct exit negotiations with the EU; what plans they have to recruit further negotiators and from what source; and how many in total they estimate will be required.

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants have been transferred from other government departments, specifically from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, to the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Lord Bridges of Headley: All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has just over 300 staff, and is growing fast. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and we will not be giving a running commentary. The Government is united in its ambition to deliver a successful withdrawal from the EU and a new relationship with Europe.

Department for International Trade

Small Businesses: Exports

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to assist small and medium-sized enterprises with language skills in order to help build export growth in preparation for, and following, the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Lord Price: We recognise the importance of language skills to the export success of our country. The Government’s new GREAT website (www.GREAT.gov.uk) contains a wide variety of material for both new and experienced exporters, including information on addressing language and cultural issues when pursuing international business opportunities.The country guides available on the website (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/exporting-country-guides) make specific reference to legal and cultural issues that a UK business needs to consider when doing business overseas. These guides will be updated on a regular basis, when necessary.

EU External Trade

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 8 November (HL2605) concerning trade in goods and services with the EU, whether non-EU countries listed in tables 1 and 2 have full access to the EU single market and which of them export more goods and services to the EU than the UK does.

Lord Price: The nature of the access to the EU single market that firms in countries outside the EU have when exporting to the EU depends on the nature of any trade agreements they might have with the EU. Any products and services they sell in the single market would have to comply with the EU and, where appropriate, Member State specific rules and requirements to do so, including payment of tariffs. In some cases, sanctions or other restrictions may be imposed thereby preventing, or limiting, access to the single market.Data are not available from a single source for exports of goods and services combined. China is the only country outside the EU that exports more goods to the EU than the UK does. The United States is the only country outside the EU that exports more services to the EU than the UK does.(Source: Eurostat Comext International Trade in Goods and International Trade in Services databases)

World Trade Organisation

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 8 November (HL2954), in what respect the terms of UK membership of the World Trade Organisation will need updating.

Lord Price: The UK is a founding member of the World Trade Organisation. As an EU Member State, the UK’s obligations in the World Trade Organization are shared with the European Union, and specific commitments are set out in EU schedules. As we leave the EU, we will need to establish specific UK schedules of commitments.